ISTANBUL

Top diplomats of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are flying to Beijing on Monday for a four-day official trip, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

A statement said the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, and the organization's secretary general will be in China until Friday.

The invitation was extended by China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The visit comes amid the crisis triggered by violent protests over rising fuel prices in Kazakhstan – one of the main energy suppliers to Beijing. The Central Asian nation, however, has largely returned to normalcy after the week-long crisis.

The GCC is a regional, intergovernmental political and economic union that consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.​​​​​​​